The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-13
Importers Out Of Trouble.


which went to Washington received the MS
furance Of the secretary of the treasury that
the Department had not changed It's prac-
tice relative TO the free entry of breeding
stock int. the United States, relieved the
anxiety Of importers all over the country.
Naturally enough, they, with us, inferred
from the secretary's statement That no fur
ther trouble would be experienced by i'm
parters Of breeding stock In crossing the
boundary line between Canada and the
United States, Judge Gresham's decision
TO the contrary having, IL Is supposed been
set aside. This quietude h wev-r, was
soon TO be rudely disturbed. Affairs in
connection with importing became more
tangled up than ever First cane the news
that consignment of horses for Messrs
Fields Bros Cedar Falls, Iowa, had been
stopped ut Port Huron, and duty demand.
ed. Here was some error If the importers
delegation 10 Washington had arrived NJ "A
correct conclusion and imported breeding
animals from that time forward were Ia be
admitted free Of duty. Evidently the treas
ury department had failed 10 instruct the
customs authorities ~ Port Huron In &C
cnrdanCe with its decision as given to the
importers delegation. strange state OF
matters, surely, when government de-
Observation-Disclosures Of authority, AS 1t
were-makes decision which is either
not carried out in practice by its officials or
not made known to them for action in &C.
cOrdance herewith! But the tangle was
not urraveled, for while Fields Bros. had
10 pay duy, an importation by George E
Brown II Co, of Aurora, H., previously
came through all right and without, 50 Tar
"a we can ascertain, the slightest trouble.
These two contradictory cases gave rise
again to renewed anxiety on the part of
i'm pprters, for who was 10 say which would
or would II { in turn have to pay DUTY
This WAS considerably augmented by the
news that the government mad commenced
suit at Madison, Wis, against Gaibrath
Bros for $4,000, that sum representing
duty which should have been paid (D on II
past importation,
Consequent on the rapid occurrence of
these unpropitiOus events importers knew
not what to think but came To the cOnclu
sion that decided action was necessary
This at least was the case with j. o. Curry
Aurora, Ill. He determined to lose no
time. His action, too, was accelerated by
the fact that the Dominion line steamer
toronto" had arrived at our seaboard and
on board We're thirty.seven head Of horses
for the firm of Blair Bros ~ Curry, of
which he WAS member. How was he to
know that those horses would or would not
pass the custom house authorities free :?
Despite the fact that he had In person, with
other delegates to Washington, received
the assurance of the secretary of the treas.
ury that no duty would be demanded, facts
did not bear out that assurance and he CON
cluded not 10 run any risk In the matter If
there was ANYTHING in the seCretary's assur-
ance Re would put il to the test for his own
benefit and that of brother importers whose
horses with his were about to land from
the steamship Toronto.
He at once acted on his decision. Con
gresham Hopkins, who represent: the dis
tict in which Mr. Curry lives, and who,
with him and others, forme the delegation
that waited on the secretary Of the treasury
at Washington, accompanied Mr. Curry to
Chicago and again left for Washington at
the latter's expense. At the same time MIR.
Curry went TO Toronto to await the arrival
of his horses and with Mr.. Hopkins at
Washington, WAS in a position to get his
importation through the customs free If 1t
could be done at all.
The steamer Toronto" arrived Tuesday,
July 10TH and the horses brought over on
her were AIDED on a special train which
left for Port Huron Thursday morning.
From Toronto, July 2lst. Mr.. Curry tele,
graphed Congressman Hopkins that Fields
Bros had paid duty the day previous; that
Collector Ward, of Port Huron, insisted
that all horses would be stopped until duty
was paid down in cash, and that he (the
cOlectOr) would not ask for instructions
from Washington. Shortly after he tele
graphed again, requesting Congressman
Hopkins to ask that the collector be in
structed to let the horses pass; eTphasiz-
ing the fact that otherwise the horses would
certainly be stopped, and if held too long
they would die on the cars, On the follow
ing day, July 22d, Mr.. Curry wired Mr..
Hopkins, from Paris, Can, repeating his
request of the day previous, and stating
that the horses were suffering badly on the
cars, one having died and others likely to
follow if held. He also requested Mr..
Hopkins to wire him in care of the tele
graph office at Port Huron, ~ which place
they expected To srrive Friday afternoon.
Reaching Port Huron at p. m, Friday,
Mr. Curry Immediately Went TO the TEL
egraph office where the followi, = telegram
from Washington was handed him:
"The Department has reversed collection
in Galbraith Bros case and decided that If
horses are for breeding purposes it matters
not that they are imported for sale also.
The Department has 50 telegraphed your
collector, and forwarded 10y mail the deci-
sion. A j. HOPKINS"
Nhen the collector came around this tel
egram was handed him, and he having re-
ceived like instructions, AT once passed the
whole train Of horses free, but with the re
mark, "if You had been three minutes ear
lier I'll would have had to pay duty In
this the collector would probably have
found himself mistaken, for MIR. Curry
Wlly intend to wait for instructions from
Washington, even if weeks time was oc-
cupiei in SO doing. Nevertheless, be and
the other importers were elated N their
success and having no delay. The train
then passed triumphanly through Port
Huron and was made upas follows: Thirty
three head of English Shire, ClydesdaIt
aud Cleveland Bay horses owned 10y Blair
Bros u Curry; thirty seven English Shires
owned by Burgess Bros, Nenona, III
twenty five PercheronS and English Shires
owned 10y Bell Bros, Wooster . and two